Water cooled copper panel for a furnace and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

A cooling panel for use in drawing off excess heat from and protecting the side walls and roof of a furnace such as an electric arc furnace, the cooling panel being preferably made entirely out of oxygen-free pure copper. The cooling panel is a wall having a series of strips welded on one side, the strips having recesses on the side adjacent the wall to form channels between the strips and wall for circulating a cooling fluid therethrough. The cooling panel is also provided with inlet and outlet manifolds for supplying and removing the cooling fluid to the passages of the cooling panel. The strips and the manifolds are preferably made using an extruding process and assembled using a tungsten inert gas welding process.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cooling panel for use as part of a wall or roof of an electric arc furnace having an interior volume, said cooling panel comprising: a first substantially flat copper panel having a first side for exposure to said electric arc furnace and a second side; and   a copper bar having a first side welded to said second side of said copper panel, said copper bar having a plurality of recesses located in said first side of said cooper bar such that said plurality of recesses form a plurality of straight-line, non-serpentine conduits between said copper bar and said second side of said copper panel whereby fluid flows therethrough and cools said first substantially flat copper panel.   
     
     
       2. The cooling panel of claim 1 wherein said copper bar is an extruded form. 
     
     
       3. The cooling panel of claim 1 further comprising: means attached to said first side of said copper panel for collecting slag while said electric arc furnace is in operation such that said first side of said copper panel is coated with said slag thereby creating an insulating layer between said copper panel and said interior volume of said arc furnace.   
     
     
       4. The cooling panel of claim 2 further comprising means for supplying cooling fluid to said copper panel, said supplying means attached to said copper panel and directly communicating with said plurality of straight-line, non-serpentine conduits. 
     
     
       5. The cooling panel of claim 4 further comprising means for removing said cooling fluid from said copper panel, said removing means attached to said copper panel and directly communicating with said plurality of straight-line, non-serpentine conduits. 
     
     
       6. The cooling panel of claim 4 wherein said supplying means comprises an inlet manifold attached to said copper panel for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       7. The cooling panel of claim 5 wherein said supplying means comprises an inlet manifold attached to said copper panel for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       8. The cooling panel of claim 7 wherein said removing means comprises an outlet manifold attached to said copper panel for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       9. The cooling panel of claim 5 wherein said removing means comprises an outlet manifold attached to said copper panel for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       10. The fluid-cooled copper panel of claim 6 wherein said inlet manifold is extruded. 
     
     
       11. The cooling panel of claim 8 wherein said outlet manifold is extruded. 
     
     
       12. A method for producing a cooling panel for use in a wall or roof section of a furnace and having a cooling fluid flowing therethrough, said method comprising the steps of: selecting a first copper panel;   forming a first copper bar having a straight-line, non-serpentine recess located in one side thereof;   attaching said first copper bar to said first copper panel such that said recess is located adjacent said first copper panel;   forming an inlet manifold;   attaching said inlet manifold to said first copper panel and said first copper bar;   forming an outlet manifold; and   attaching said outlet manifold to said first copper panel and said first copper bar;   whereby said straight-line, non-serpentine recess conveys said cooling fluid from said inlet manifold, through said recess directly to said outlet manifold.   
     
     
       13. A cooling panel for use as part of a wall or roof of a furnace having an interior volume, said cooling panel comprising: a panel member having a first side for exposure to said interior volume of said furnace and a second opposite side;   at least one extruded bar having a first end and a second end, said at least one extruded bar being attached to said second opposite side of said panel member; and   extruded passage means interposed said panel member and said at least one extruded bar, said extruded passage means extending from said first end to said second end of said at least one extruded bar, said extruded passage means defining a straight-line, non-serpentine opening through which a cooling fluid flows whereby said cooling fluid entering said opening flows directly from said first end to said second end defined by said extruded passage means so as to extract heat from said panel member.   
     
     
       14. The cooling panel of claim 13 further comprising means for supplying cooling fluid to said cooling panel, said supplying means attached to said panel member. 
     
     
       15. The cooling panel of claim 14 further comprising means for removing said cooling fluid from said cooling panel, said removing means attached to said panel member. 
     
     
       16. The cooling panel of claim 15 wherein said supplying means comprises an inlet manifold attached to said cooling panel for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       17. The cooling panel of claim 16 wherein said removing means comprises an outlet manifold attached to said panel member for fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
       18. The cooling panel of claim 16 wherein said inlet manifold is extruded. 
     
     
       19. The cooling panel of claim 17 wherein said outlet manifold is extruded. 
     
     
       20. The cooling panel of claim 13 further comprising: means attached to said first side of said panel member for collecting slag while said furnace is in operation such that said first side of said panel member becomes coated with said slag thereby creating an insulating layer between said panel member and said interior volume of said furnace.   
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 12 wherein said step of forming said first copper bar having said straight-line, non-serpentine recess located in one side thereof further comprises the step of extruding said first copper bar and said straight-line, non-serpentine recess located in one side thereof. 
     
     
       22. The method according to claim 21 wherein said step of attaching said first copper bar having straight-line, non-serpentine recess located in one side thereof to said first copper panel further comprises the step of welding said first copper bar to said first copper panel. 
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said welding step comprises the step of using a copper-tungsten inert gas welding method to weld said first copper bar to said first copper panel.